Attractions, Museums and Libraries

For up-to-date information on cultural activities check out the website from Cultural Tourism DC, a nonprofit coalition of 185 arts, heritage, cultural, and community organizations throughout DC.

NMRT Local Arrangements Committee recommends the following attractions for the budget conscious conference attendee:

Free/Cheap DC

In Washington, D.C. there is no shortage of free and cheap entertainment. The only problem you’ll have is figuring out how to fit it all in. Many museums, memorials and government building are free and open to the public. For some sites such as the White House, The Washington Monument, the “Mint” and the Holocaust Museum, you must get your free tickets in advance, either by writing to your congressman with the date(s) of your visit or by waiting in line at the attraction on the day that you want ticket. Other sites have reduced rates with a student ID card. This list is by no means exhaustive. While we have tried to include everything, please remember some things may have been accidentally left out. We have included Metro stops, but if you need bus service, please visit the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority. FYI you can download WMTA maps to your IPOD.

Bureau of Engraving & Printing public tours can either be reserved in advance by calling (202) 874-2330 or tickets can be picked up at 8 am on 15th Street on the side of the building. One person can retrieve up to 8 tickets. Tours during the summer are from 10 am - 2 pm and from 5pm - 7 pm.

Getting There: Metro- Orange/Blue Line to the Capitol South Metro Station

Public tours are offered at the following times: Monday–Friday 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30; and Saturday at 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, and 2:30. The tours begin in the Ground Floor Visitors Center of the Thomas Jefferson Building. Hours vary by building and collection.

Collection: The United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence are on permanent display. The collection also contains federal records from the 18th century to the present.

Tours: Monday through Saturday from 9:00AM - 2:30PM. The tours are given free of charge, but tickets are required and can be obtained the same day of the tour on a first-come, first-served basis. Ticket distribution begins at 8:15 am at First Street and Independence Avenue. Guided tours last approximately thirty minutes and are organized in groups of 40 people.

For information on free, guided tours, call (202) 225-6827. To obtain passes to see the House and Senate in session, call your representative or one of your senators at (202) 224-3121.

The White House only offers tickets to groups of 10 or more people. It does not offer individual tickets. You must request tickets through one’s Member of Congress one to six months in advance. These self-guided tours are available from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (excluding federal holidays), and are scheduled on a first come, first served basis approximately one month in advance of the requested date. Please submit your request as early as possible since a limited number of tours are available.

Getting There: Metro – Red Line to Dupont Circle, Q Street North Exit. Walk 6 blocks west on Q over the bridge and into Georgetown.

According to the website, the Dumbarton House “offers guests a distinctive look at Federal period architecture, furniture, and decorative arts, as well as life in Georgetown, during our nation’s earliest days.”

Docent-led tours are available Tuesday through Saturday beginning at 10:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m., or 1:15 p.m. Tours last approximately 45 minutes. Dumbarton House is closed on all Federal holidays.

Tickets are available on a first come, first serve basis, beginning at 8:30 am. You can order tickets in advance online for a service fee of $1.50 at http://reservations.nps.gov/ or by calling 1-800-967-2283.

Collection: The museum’s collection covers women artists from the 16th century to the present and includes a wide range of media such as photography, sculpture, painting and decorative arts. A special collection of 17th and 18th century English and Irish women silversmiths is also on display.

Collection: The Phillips collection was the first modern art museum in the United States, when Duncan Phillips opened his home collection to the public. It features works by Matisse, Braque, Bonner, Ryder and O’Keefe. Some of the highlights include Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party and the Rothko Room.

Tickets for the Permanent Exhibits may be obtained at the Museum on the day of your visit or in advance by calling tickets.com at (800) 400–9373. Each day, the Museum distributes on a first–come first–served basis a large but limited number of timed entry passes for use that same day. No tickets/passes are needed to enter the Museum building, special exhibitions, or the interactive Wexner Learning Center.

SMITHSONIAN MUSEUMS

Location: National Mall

Admission: Free

Getting There: Metro- Blue and Orange line to Smithsonian

The Smithsonian Institute is comprised of 17 museums, the national zoo and several research centers and archives. For more information on individual hours, please visit http://www.smithsonian.org or call202.633.1000 (voice/tape); 202.633.5285 (TTY).

Take the Local exit out of the station. After exiting, turn left and go to the W2 or W2 bus stop on Howard Road. Note: the W2 bus runs only during AM and PM rush hours. The W3 bus runs every 30 minutes 9:30 AM- 4:00PM M-F, and every 20 minutes on weekends. The W2 and W3 buses stop in front of the museum.

Collection: A museum of African American history and culture, it explores American history, society, and creative expression from an African American perspective.

Collection: The museums are connected by an underground exhibition space. These two galleries house one of the best collections of Asian art in the world. The collection also includes American art, ancient Egyptian art, ancient Near Eastern Art, Islamic Art and Biblical manuscripts, including the famous Peacock Room created by James McNeill Whistler.

Admission: Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids 6-12 and free for kids 5 or younger. Group Discounts are available for groups of 20 or more. Call 301-860-0630 for group tickets.

Getting There: Metro – Blue and Orange Lines to Federal Triangle

The Barbecue Battle features serious competition between top BBQ competitors, great BBQ restaurants from our area and around the country, cooking demonstrations, free food samples, interactive cooking displays and children's activities.

Initiated in 1967, The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is a national, even international, celebration of contemporary living traditions. The Festival typically includes daily and evening programs of music, song, dance, celebratory performance, crafts and cooking demonstrations, storytelling, illustrations of workers' culture, and narrative sessions for discussing cultural issues. The Festival encourages visitors to participate - to learn, sing, dance, eat traditional foods, and converse with people presented in the Festival program.

Highlights: The Mekong River program will bring to Washington approximately 200 artists, performers, craftspeople, cooks, and ritual specialists from the Mekong region for an unprecedented cultural confluence. Visitors will experience the region's diversity firsthand as they listen to Vietnamese folk opera, watch talented Lao cooks prepare a holiday feast, or join in a Cambodian wedding procession.

DC Caribbean Carnival - www.dccaribbeancarnival.com

Date: June 23-24 2007

Time: Parade starts at 10 am and festivities conclude at 7pm on 6/25

Location: Georgia Ave. NW

Admission: Parade is free to attend. There is a $5 charge for the events at Banneker Park.

Metro/Transportation/Parking: www.metroopensdoors.com

Parade starts at 10 am at Georgia & Missouri Avenues and heads south on Georgia Avenue. Parade culminates at Barry Place (across from Howard University) where activities continue at Banneker Park until 7 pm.

Highlights: The highlight of the Carnival is the annual parade, which includes 25 colorful bands of masqueraders accompanied by the sweetest, most infectious music, will be dancing up a storm down Georgia Avenue from Missouri Avenue, NW to Banneker Park, NW across from the campus of Howard University.